This invention relates to tote boxes and, more particularly, to tote boxes made from foldable corrugated plastic sheet blanks and having inwardly projecting tabs to hold block inserts within the tote box secure against movement without the use of any fasteners or adhesives.
Various types of containers have been used in the past for shipping and storage of goods in commerce. One such container, which is reusable and commonly called a "tote box," is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,295,632, which is herewith incorporated herein by reference. In such a tote box, as in other containers used for shipping and storage, it is well known and a common practice to use block inserts for cushioning and spacing objects placed within the container. The block inserts are typically made of a material consisting of foam, plastic, rubber or wood, for example, and are generally positioned under or around the objects in the container to achieve the desired cushioning and spacing effects. In this way, the block inserts are provided to protect the objects within the container from damage caused by undesirable shock to or vibration of the container during use. However, with any block insert and container design, the block inserts are only effective when they are properly secured within the container and are properly registered with the objects to be protected. Thus, it is paramount for the protection of the objects that the block inserts do not shift or fall within the container during use.
Prior to the present invention, it has been the practice to either loosely fit the block inserts within the container or to use adhesives to either firmly attach the inserts to the container itself or to pads adapted to be fit within the container. One such block insert and container design is disclosed, for example, in Bliss, U.S. Pat. No. 4,241,832, wherein a wave shaped block insert of expanded polyethylene is either loosely wrapped around an object within the container or attached by an adhesive layer either to the container itself or to a pad adapted to be fit within the container. However, in typical containers of this kind, the loose block inserts are prone to shift during use, thereby compromising the desirable cushioning and spacing effect of the block inserts. Moreover, when the block inserts are glued to the container or to the pad, the block inserts cannot be easily removed and reused or replaced as may be desired. And very importantly, the block inserts, when glued or adhered to the container or pad of different material content, are difficult to recycle; a consideration which is becoming increasingly important.
Accordingly, it is a primary objective of the present invention to provide a tote box made from a novel corrugated blank and having block insert locking tabs to hold block inserts within the tote box secure against movement without the use of any fasteners or adhesives.
Another objective of this invention is to provide a tote box made from a corrugated blank and having block insert locking tabs to hold block inserts within the tote box secure against movement without the use of any fasteners or adhesives wherein the block inserts can be easily removed and subsequently reused or replaced as may be desired.
It is an additional objective of the present invention to provide a tote box made from a corrugated blank which, when fully folded and assembled, forms an integral rigid tote box having block insert locking tabs to hold block inserts within the tote box pad secure against movement without the use of any fasteners or adhesives.